The Tasua’i Hosseini Mourning Ceremony in East Azerbaijan: A Testament to Devotion and National Identity
On Saturday, the 14th of Tir 1404 (July 14, 2025), a deeply symbolic and emotional mourning ceremony was held in the heart of East Azerbaijan Province in commemoration of Tasua, the ninth day of Muharram, a date of particular religious importance in Shia Islam. Known traditionally among the Azeri-speaking people of northwestern Iran as “Shah Hossein Goyan”—a passionate ritual chant meaning “Calling upon King Hossein”—the ceremony drew thousands of mourners, religious delegations, and cultural figures to the East Azerbaijan Governorate compound in Tabriz.
The event was presided over by none other than Dr. Masoud Pezashkian, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a native son of East Azerbaijan. Pezashkian, who in recent years has emphasized the role of cultural and religious heritage in national unity, stood among the Hosseini delegations and local mourners, signaling not only his personal devotion but also a strong political and spiritual connection to the values embodied by the Ashura uprising.
This gathering in Tabriz was not merely a religious observance—it was a convergence of history, identity, and political symbolism. With elegies echoing through the air and the cry of “Ya Hossein” rising from processions clad in black, this year’s Tasua ceremony became a moment of national reflection and cultural reaffirmation.